Council to break ground on Abbeylands project this year

The council hopes to break ground on its ambitious Abbeylands project in the heart of Cavan Town later this year.

Full construction will follow towards the end of 2024 and, once complete, the development is set to transform the town centre.

The much-vaunted and long-awaited Abbeylands project, with its vision to regenerate the core of the county town as a bustling civic and amenity space, will see pedestrianisation prioritised over cars. A new multifunctional plaza and public event space will be created and link to nearby Abbey Street, Townhall Street, Main Street and Bridge Street.

Members of the Cavan Belturbet Municipal District approved planning for the project back in April 2023.

Further progress was made when Cavan County Council recently appointed a design team for the project. The joint-venture involves input from both Bailieborough-based Frank Cooney Architects and Waterford-based DHB Architects. Both worked in partnership on previous iterations of the Abbeylands plan and overall Masterplan to redevelop and rejuvenate the centre area of Cavan Town.

Director of Services at Cavan County Council, Brendan Jennings, explained that “enabling works” will begin, with the full contract for construction going to tender in the coming months.

“Really they've just got on to ground so expect now some enabling works during 2024, more ground investigation works taking place, some demolition works, and then entering into the main construction contract really towards the end of 2024 and into 2025.”

Central to the redevelopment of connecting backlands are council plans to incorporate a remote working centre at the former McIntyre’s site, and a community services hub at the former Donohoe’s Foodfare property, purchased in 2021 for close to €750,000.

The programme for development includes plans for a new cultural and remote working building, a community services building and eatery.

It will also involve a change of existing zoning for the area from Residential to Commercial space, and the proposed works include heritage preservation of the existing medieval tower and stone walls.

The next stages of the project are to be completed in three phases, explains Mr Jennings, and will fit with works already completed in the area.

Townhall Street and its carpark in Cavan Town last year underwent significant renovation and redevelopment, with funding totalling €750,000 transforming the area to make it more attractive to tourists.

Part of Fáilte Ireland’s ‘Destination Towns’ initiative, the previous public toilet block was knocked to make way for an outdoor performance space; and the rose garden there was extended with 15 parking spaces relocated.

“The Abbeylands redevelopment can be described in three phases really. One is the business and innovation centre, which will be located at the current McIntyre’s site,” Mr Jennings outlined to the Celt.

“Then you have the community services facility at the back of the former Donohoe's Foodfare, although the front will be preserved for now and, between them, will be the whole central plaza. Incorporated into that are new access points from Main Street and Bridge Street, and Townhall Street, linking obviously with our public realm works at the Townhall,” he detailed.